Beverage dispenser



May 22, 1928.

` 1,670,373 H. J. MCCUE BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed April 9, 1927 INVENTORfw@ fffaa /z's ATTORNEY HARRY J.

Patented May 22, 1928.

' UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICES-l* MCCUE; or LEVELANDQ omo, Assi "NonTo]:arcimsansioN4 conronarroir,

or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. A coRronATiN or NEW Yogax. j j

BEVERAGE DIsPENsERS 'Application med hpril e,

` food matter. lt is `found in use that the pulp or crushed fruit clogsup the openings through which the beverage is discharged from theconduit. The principal object of the presentinvelr tion lis to providemechanism for cleaning out the conduit and discharge openings andremoving the accumulation of pulpor other material which becomes `lodgedtherein;

Another object is to provide a deviceof this nature which can be easily`manipulated by the operator, whenever desired, yand which `isapplicable to beverage dispensers` already in use. y

A `further Objectis toprovide afsimple and etlicient construction of fewparts,easy:

and cheap to manufacture, "and which is not liable to get out oforder.`

With these and other ends in view, the invention comprises the structureand combination of parts which will appearjmore clearly` from thefollowing description when read 1n conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, the novel features beingpointed out in` the elaimsfollowingthe description.

In the drawings: IIigure 1 is a vertical section. through the top ofabeverage 'dispenser showing apreferred embodiment ofmy invention;`

Figure 2iis an enlarged detail `view of the `upper partof Figure 1showing the parts 1n section; i

Figure 3 is atransverse section onwthe line 3-`3 of Figure 2,-and fFigure 4 is a perspective view of tion'of the device.y r

As is usual in dispensing apparatus off a pors this `general type, abase l() is provided on which is mounted an inverted bowl-like member11. This member is preferably butl not necessarily transparent. Mountedwithin the base and extending up inside the l ings are provided.

`1927, Serial No. 182,402.'

bowllike member is alconduit 12havingfa.

fitting 13 at the top thereof, this fitting havi ing a chamberwhichforms an eXtensioniof the conduit; The fitting 13 contains a seriesj j of circumferentiallyspaced discharge openlings 14'. lIn operation,the 'beverage Ais forced upward'through the `conduit 12 and outthrouglrthe openings lafimpinging against" the bowl-like 11 `and runningdown the sides thereof." If the memberll is' transparenhthis flow` maybe observedfand. forms an attractive advertising' display; The beverageafter flowing down the' sides of the member 1,1 `collects withinachamber formed by walls'l within the base 10,y and visdrawn olitherefrom through' faucets orl other suitable means as desired. If thebeverage is `not-drawn off asfast asit is supplied from the conduitv12,itmay collect in thechamber and.v inlthe lower part of the invertedbowl-like* -member 11 f until it reaches the level of an overflow pipel,by means of which `the excess beverage is 'rer lturned to ythe main'supply tank. il Dispensing apparatusy yofthis ltype is widely used fororangeade, and other fruitrk beverage containing various crushed o"r.shredded fruits or `fruit pulp.. When beverages of f` this kind areforced" through the conduit 12,"c10gging Vof `the discharge open ings 14frequently"occurs,'as the solid matter` in the beverage isyvery apt tolodge at the end of the conduit 12 adjacent the discharge openings, andlin these openings themselves.l `To Vremedy this condition, I provide 'aVcleaningmember which preferably is in the form of a plunger or disk 17lhaving'substantially the same diameteras the inside diameter of theupper end of the conduit. Cut-out portions18 are formed in the pe-Vriphery of the cleaning member. It" will be noted from "Figure 3that thecircumfer-`- ential vspacing of these cuteout portionsis different fromthe` circumferential spacing of the outlet openings`14. Thus there larethree cut-outportion while four outlet open- The cleaning member ismovable inthe conduit, preferably as inthe present embodil ment, havingboth rotary and longitudinal movement, and to this end,'is provided withan actuating member or handle 19 secured to the cleaning member 17 andextending Hthrough an opening in the end wall 20 of the conduit. Thisactuating member passes up- CJI Cil

wardly through the top of the inverted bowl-like member 11. Attached tothe end wall 20 of the conduit and extending u ward throu h the member11 and around t ie handle 19, 1s a sleeve 21. lVithin this sleeve andsurrounding the actuating member 19 is a. coil spring 22. The bottom ofthis spring rests upon the end wall of the conduit while the top pressesagainst a sleeve 23 on the actuating member 19, held in place bylock-nuts 24- and 25 screwed on the end of said actuating member. Thusthe spring forms a resilient means tending to force the actuating member19 upward and to keep the cleaning member or plunger 17 against the endwall of the conduit.

When the discharge end of the conduit becomes clogged it may be cleanedeasily by moving the actuating member 19 up and downand il necessarygiving it a rotation at the same time.k Due to the cut-out portions inthe cleaning member, sharp corners 2G are formed thereon, as plainlyvshown in Figures 3 and 4, and these quickly cut out and remove theaccumulated pulp or other material when the member is rotated. Theupand-don'n movement of `the cleaning member brings" it into operativerelation with different portions of the end of the conduit, thusthoroughly removing all the material whichmaybecome lodged in theconduit adjacent the discharge openings 14.

. It is' common in beverage dispensers of this type to provide a smallvent through the inverted bowl-like member 11 so that aI highpressurewill not form therein. If desired, openings 27 may be formed for thispurpe through the sleeve 21. Gases under pressure may escape from withinthe member 11 by assing` through the` openings 27, thence owing upwardbetween the sleeve 21 and the member 19, finally escaping into theatmosphere through thev opening 28 in the cap member 29, which openingis somewhat: larger than the diameter of the sleeve It will now be seenthat I have disclosed, as one embodiment of my invention, ai cleaningmember which is rotatable as well as longitudinally movable within oneend of the beverage supply conduit. The cleaning device may be operatedby an actuating member which extendsoutside of the bowl-like member 11,and itis therefore unnecessary to dismantle the mechanism when thedischarge openings become clogged.

To apply this form of my invention to beverage dispensers already inuse, it is necessary only to remove the bowldike member 11, take thefitting off the top of the conduit and substitute my fitting 13 and itsassociated parts therefor. A new bowl-like member 11 containing theproper openings for the actuating member and tor the sleeve 21, is thenput in placeand the dispensing apparatus is again ready for use.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that the inventive ideal may be carried out in a number ofways. Therefore, I do not desire to be limited to the precise detailsshown, but this application is intended to cover all modificationsthereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

I claim: Y

l. In a beverage dispenser, the combination with a. conduit havingdischarge open ings therein, of an inverted bowl-like member surroumlingsaid conduit, a cleaningde vice movable within said conduit to dislodgematerial clogging said openings, and an actuating member connected tosaid cleaning device and extending through said bowldiko member so thatsaid cleaning device may he' actuated from without said bowl-likemeniber.

2. In a beverage dispenser, the combination with aconduit having aseries o'f circumferentially spaced outlet openings in the side wallsthereof, oi" a plunger movable within said conduit past said openings,said plunger having cut-ont portions in the pe riphery thereof, thecircumferential spacing of said cut-out portions being.r different fromthe circumferential spacing of said outlet openings.

3. In a beverage, dispenser. the coml'iina tion with a conduit havingdischarge. openings therein, of an inverted bowl-like member surroundingsaid conduit,a sleeve connected to the conduit and extending throughsaid' bowl-like member, a cap having engagement with the outer end ofsaid sleeve for holding:` the latter in operative relation to thehowllilre member, a cleaning device movable within said conduit todislodge material clogging said openings, an actuating member connectedto the cleanino' device and extending through the aforesaid; sleeve andspaced therefrom. said actuating member extending exteriorly of theaforementioned cap when.' it is accessible for operating the cleaningdcvice, and a spring surrounding the actuating member within said sleeveand located be tween the bottom of the sleeve and a stop orr my name.

HARRY J. MCCUE lill

